28 May

Another interesting day dawned.
After rising, preparing and facing a huge repast for breakfast and losing in eating it all, I gave mine hosts a DVD of some of my photos – even as small images, not all fit onto a DVD now. They got US, Australia and Europe (up to today) and started looking at them straight away (liked Uluru). Then my fellow residents came down for breakfast – they were four ladies from Ghent, here on a cycling tour. We talked about Europe and Australia, and touring by car and cycle, then they left to go out on a seventy kilometre ride today (they had done one hundred kilometres yesterday). I went up and packed, having already settled the account before finishing breakfast.
I left, having set course for Pozieres. Just as I left Belgium (which sounds great, but was just under an hour), the low fuel light went on. I waited until I was in France to fill up (for the last time) as all fuel, especially diesel, is far cheaper in France. The border crossing was another non-event, as while all the signage remains, you just drive straight through.
I filled up and have estimated, from all the fills so far, that the tank will take what the computer says, plus twenty percent, plus or minus twenty-five percent. It sounds complicated, but if the computer says I need fifty litres, then I really need between fifty-seven and a half and sixty-two and a half litres. On that I will estimate a final fill figure when I return the car (with a low tank, for transport, as it will go out on a car transport). So far, overall, it is returning just under sixty mpg (just over five litres per hundred kilometres).
After I filled up I went on, but reprogrammed to go the Victoria School in Villers-Brettoneaux. I arrived to find … no-one there! Have I chosen the wrong times to visit or what? I will try again tomorrow. I went up to the market square in the town to hear Australian accents – four, two couples, with one couple touring France for a month but the others returning home soon. They also have a leased car and apparently know the Hatchers (who run Eurolease in Australia) personally. I passed on a little about finding accommodation, then they left to find the Australian War Memorial, so I directed them to it (and followed them there, as it was on my way to Albert (“Bert”)). Then I left them and went to Albert, to get something to drink and check McDonald’s still had WiFi Gratitué and Illimité. They did, I got something to drink and then went to Thiepval. Although I had been there four times, I hadn’t seen the memorial. I read all the introductory material (again with school excursions rampant – had to loan a child a pen as he didn’t have one, but neither did his teacher). I walked to the memorial with some English people and chatted to them, and found you couldn’t actually get to the memorial as it was closed for cleaning and renovation before the summer crowds and memorial ceremonies.
I went back to Pozieres and found the owner of the B&B home, so dropped in, got a key and left some luggage. I am upstairs for tonight, then back where I was before tomorrow night. There is an Australian couple staying there, so I may meet them tomorrow morning (or tonight).
I went to the ppost office in Villers-Brettoneaux to get two mailing boxes for posting the last stuff home and got them, but struck the only post office in France which doesn’t take cards, so had to use cash.
Then I called in at Chipilliy. This is were my grandfather won his medal for storming a German machine gun post (even though the citation says elsewhere. I videoed the view from where I thought it took place and was just writing this up when a local gentleman spoke to me, realised the gist of what I was here for (to find the ridge and exact position of the machine gun post, if possible) and rushed off to get an English speaker. He couldn’t find one, but gave me a number to call, then spoke to each visitor to the cemetery to ask if they could help.
I wrote this all up, and am tossing up whether to return to Pozieres via Albert and post this (but not the photos, as I will do those later) or go straight back to Pozieres. I think the former will win as I’ll have tea on the way home, but most likely have to add to this tomorrow.
I called an and had some tea, then uploaded my blog there but no photos. I was able to check email, but left it at that.
I arrived in Pozieres and went to unpack the rest of my gear. I took some upstairs but stayed at the back to process the photos. I did that and then Christian, mine host here, came out. I showed him where I had been between staying here the first time and now, and he showed me where he had been on holiday in Italy. I showed him the Australian photos I had, while we had a drink together. Then he took his son out for something and I chatted to the Australian couple (from Sydney) about travelling, lease cars, places to stay, computer connections and cameras and photos. Apparently now there is WiFi here, and the breakfast room has been changed around quite a bit.
They retired for the evening and I went back, after mentioning to the son to help me get on the WiFi network, to my room, typed up the rest of my blog and got myself ready for the evening. I was logged on soon after, uploaded photos and full blog and then went to sleep.